Maurice Site Admin
Joined: 08 Jul 2006 Posts: 185
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Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 4:40 am Post subject: The Hunt Comes To Town - Sept. 15, 2004 |
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The Hunt Comes To Town
By Sue E., Journalist
Today there was a parliamentary debate of a Bill banning fox hunting. This was an issue in the original manifesto of the Labour Party Manifesto before it became the government in 1997, and the hunting issue has been debated on many occasions culminating in todays debate. It is an emotive issue in this country with strong feelings on both sides and today thousands of country folk descended onto Parliament Square to make their feeling felt during the debate in the House of Commons.
Surveys have shown that the majority of people are against fox hunting but this could be seen as the towns and cities, where the majority of people live, having opinions on what happens in the countryside. The fact is the ban on fox hunting could cause the unemployment of many thousands of people involved in the hunt and the destruction of fox hounds because of sentimental feelings about the barbarity of hunting. It has be said here that there is an large influx of foxes into cities where people are asking for their cull because of the damage they cause in an urban environment.
The demonstration was peaceful to begin with but early on this afternoon there was a small riot in one corner of the square causing injuries to protesters and police when the riot police went in to sort the rioters out. Also there was the worst security breach, since the security breach of Monday when a man dressed as Batman scaled the walls of Buckingham Palace near the balcony were you see the Queen waving on ceremonial occasions, when five protesters got onto the floor of the debating chamber of the House of Commons.
When I got there there was a heavy police presence and there was no way of getting in amongst the protesters who were holding banners and peacefully listening to the final speakers waiting to hear the result of the vote.
There was a majority vote to ban fox hunting. The Bill will now be passed to to the House Lords for amendment or rejection but as these are the people who it will most affect there is talk of a parliamentary Bill which if voted for by a majority of MPS in a free vote the Fox hunting Bill will passed without the agreement of the House of Lords. |
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